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25 October 1945: Decommissioned at Terminal Island, San Pedro, Cal. after 2.5 years of service

13 November 1945: Struck from the NVR

01 February 1947: Delivered to her purchaser, the National Metal and Steel Corp., Terminal Island, Cal.

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Burden Robert Hastings - born on 1 August 1910 in Washington, D.C. - entered the Naval Academy on 20 June 1929 under an appointment from Indiana. After graduating
on 1 June 1933, he served successive tours in the battleships California (BB 44) and Idaho (BB 42) before reporting to the Naval Air Station, Pensacola, Fla., on
20 February 1936 for flight training. Designated a naval aviator, Hastings--promoted to lieutenant (junior grade) on 1 June 1936--initially remained at Pensacola as an instructor. Following a
brief assignment at San Diego with the Fleet Air Detachment, Aircraft, Battle Force, from 19 May to 7 June 1937, the young officer joined Bomber Squadron (VB) 1 in aircraft carrier Ranger (CV-4). He remained with that unit after it was redesignated Torpedo Squadron (VT) 2 on 1 July 1937 and transferred to Lexington (CV 2). While in that assignment, Lt. (jg.) Hastings took part in an important transition in naval aviation when VT-2 replaced its venerable Martin BM-1 and BM-2 biplanes with more modern monoplanes, Douglas TBD-1s, between January and May 1938.

Detached from VT-2 on 24 June 1939, Lt. (jg.) Hastings transferred to Patrol Squadron (VP) 18, a unit equipped predominantly with the Consolidated PBY-4 "Catalina" flying boat. Duty with VP 13
followed from 1 July 1938 to 18 January 1940, and then he joined VP-26, remaining with that unit through its redesignation to VP-101 on 5 December 1940 and its assignment to the Asiatic Fleet
with the reorganization of Patrol Wing (PatWing) 10 on 16 December 1940. For the next year, as war with Japan edged nearer, PatWing 10's PBYs carried out patrols over Philippine waters. When
hostilities finally broke out on 8 December 1941--7 December east of the International Date Line--the squadron's planes were ready since they had begun operations under wartime conditions late
in November. The Asiatic Fleet carried out a fighting withdrawal from the islands, retiring to the "Malay Barrier" while devastating Japanese hammer blows quickly reduced the American Army's
highly touted air forces in the Philippines to impotence. Moreover, another force, the Asiatic Fleet's submarines, plagued by torpedo failures, achieved far less than had been expected. On
15 December 1941, PatWing 10--its bases at Cavite and Olongapo rendered untenable--began heading south toward Ambon, in the Netherlands East Indies.

At 2300 on 26 December 1941, six of the squadron's PBYs, under Hastings' command, took off from Ambon and set course for the island of Jolo to bomb Japanese ships reported in the harbor there.
En route to the objective, the first section lost sight of the second and circled at 12,000 feet some 30 miles south of Jolo awaiting their absent companions. As dawn began to streak the sky,
it became evident that the second section was not going to arrive in time to carry out the attack before broad daylight, as planned. Hastings, therefore, decided to go ahead without the second
section and set course to approach Jolo from the south. Antiaircraft fire soon began blossoming in the sky above Jolo; and Lt. (jg.) J. B. Dawley, flying 101-P-6, sighted approaching two
formations of three enemy planes each. "Extremely heavy" antiaircraft fire from both ship and shore greeted the three lumbering PBYs. When the trio of "Catalinas" were still too far from their
target, six Mitsubishi A6M2 "Zero" fighters swept down on them from astern. Hastings' port waist gunner opened fire directly over Dawley's aircraft. As the "Zeroes" swept in, the flight leader
commenced evasive action, turning the PBY and making "quick zooms" to spoil the attackers' aim. Unable to maintain his place in the formation because of Hastings' low air speed, his wingman,
Dawley, dove out of formation and carried out his own attack alone, losing sight of the other planes. According to eyewitnesses below, Hastings' plane cleared the harbor with a "Zero" apparently on its tail. The PBY crashed in flames. Filipinos recovered the bodies of Hastings and at least four of his crew and accorded them a proper burial on shore. For his heroism in leading the mission, Hastings was awarded the Navy Cross, posthumously.

USS Burden R. Hastings (DE 19) (1943-1945) was the first ship to be named in his honor. (Photo courtesy of the USNA Alumni Association, from
the Naval Academy Yearbook; The Lucky Bag, Class of 1933.)

undated wartime image - Note short hull, without torpedo tubes, but with breaks between the midships deck-houses, and upper walkways fitted for heavy weather,
as in British fleet destroyers. The disruptive effect of the Measure 32 'crazy quilt' camouflage pattern is readily apparent. The director for the after 40 mm Bofors mount is well shown.
(Photo and text from "US Destroyer Escorts of World War 2" by Peter Elliott)

Robert Hurst

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undated wartime image - Note anchor stowage level with the upper deck. The white circles have been added to the photo to show new quipment added in refit. Note
large R/T aerial at the port yardarm, the cork life-nets stowed in bins by No.2 gun, and the mast ladder arrangement. The surface radar aerial in its protective housing, and a HF/DF aerial
at the masthead were standard, the latter a retrospective addition. Note that the 'crazy quilt' camouflage pattern is different each side and does not contine round the stem.
(U.S. Navy photo from the book "Allied Escort Ships of World War II (
[A Complete Survey]" by Peter Elliott)

Edib Krlicbegovic,Bosnia - Hercegovina

Burden R. Hastings History

View the USS Burden R. Hastings (DE 19) DANFS history
entry located on the Naval History and Heritage Command web site.

View a short article on the design and development of the Evarts Class DE submitted by Bob Sables.

Contact information is compiled from various sources over a period of time and may, or may not, be correct. Every effort has been made to list the newest contact. However, our entry is only as good as the latest information that's been sent to us. We list only a contact for the ship if one has been sent to us. We do NOT have crew lists or rosters available. Please see the Frequently Asked Questions section on Navsource's Main Page for that information.